It Came From The Neo-Futurarium

The Neo-Futurists present another summer of dramatic readings of film scripts in their summer prime time series It Came From The Neo-Futurarium III: Return To The Neo-Futurarium. This week's film: Demetrius and the Gladiators, a swords-and-sandals epic directed by Neo-Futurist company founder Greg Allen. The show starts tonight at 8:00, and the series runs through August 4. See the Neo-Futurist Website for more details, a complete schedule, and links to purchase tickets. The Neo-Futurarium: 5153 N. Ashland. (773) 275-5255.

The Second City Goes To War

The Second City presents a collection of sketches from their vast repertoire, to give an overview of the history of the US military. The show opens tonight at Theater on the Lake, at the corner of Fullerton and Lake Shore Drive, and runs through Sunday, July 18. Showtimes are 7:30 PM each night, except for Sunday night, which is 6:30 PM. More info: (312) 742-7994.

Pablo Neruda Centennial Celebration

Monday marked what would have been the 100th birthday of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. Come celebrate the poetry of this remarkable literary hero at the Chopin Theater, located at 1543 W. Division brought to you by the Guild Complex. Professor Beatriz Badikian will begin the evening with a free workshop delving into Neruda's passionate poems of love, politics and life. A bi-lingual reading of work written and inspired by Neruda will follow featuring Professor Badikian and poets Eduardo Arocho, Gregorio Gomez, Regina Harris-Baiocchi, Marlon Esguerra, Michael Watson, and others. The workshop is at 5:30 p.m. and the reading starts at 7:30 p.m.. Refreshments will be provided by the University of Illinois at Chicago's Latino Cultural Center and the Chilean Consulate. Tickets are $7/$5 students, seniors, members.

Rock & Roll Book Signing @ Borders

Semisonic drummer Jake Slichter (you know, that song "Closing Time" from 1998) wrote a book all about the band's thrust into the spotlight. "So You Wanna Be a Rock and Roll Star: How I Machine-Gunned a Roomful of Record Executives and Other True Tales From a Drummer's Life" (whew!) is a journey of the band's rocket into their 15 minutes of fame, both good and bad. Slichter will sign and read from the book at Border's in Uptown, at 4718 N. Broadway Ave. (at Lawrence) tonight at 7 p.m.

The Ultimate Coffee Break

You like free stuff, right? Well, today's your lucky day. Show up at Equity Plaza (2 N. Riverside Plaza) between 11am and 2pm for free samples of Starbucks beverages, sandwiches, brownies and Eli's cheesecake. There will also be some non-edible freebies, including copies of the RedEye, skincare products, yoga demonstrations and chair massages. All accompanied by free music by WLIT-FM -- yippee!

Rock the Bastille

A benefit concert for Sansculottes theatre company, with performances by Menthol, The Wes Hollywood Show, and the Specs. 9pm at the Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia; suggested donation $14. For more info call 773-507-1898 or visit the Hideout website.

Becoming a Poet @ The Newberry Library

Poetry Magazine presents the program "Becoming a Poet" today at 6 p.m. at the Newberry Library. Saskia Hamilton, James Kimbrell, Christina Pugh, and Christian Wiman—all younger poets who have been awarded the prestigious Ruth Lilly Fellowship—read from their work and discuss how they got their start. Admission is $5, including reception, and reservations are required. Call The Poetry Foundation at (312) 787-7070 for tickets. The Newberry Library is located at 60 W. Walton Street near the Clark/Division stop on the Red Line.